mrs_jonestoledos_classfandomcom-20200215-history
The role of the Supernatural and the purpose it serves.
Write the first paragraph of your page here. Chapters 1-4 The Wuthering Heights estate portrays a safe haven of the past. With scarce guests, and rarely visited chambers, this estate is littered with spirits and hauntings of importance. Each human that once lived in the Earnshaw residence still keeps their rightful place of ownership. Exemplifying this idea, Mr. Lockwood's guest chamber was known to have a sort of "odd notion" about it. In fact, hardly anyone has ever admitted to "lodging there willingly" (21). As seen in Chapter 3 of the novel, in the duration of Mr. Lockwood's stay, a particular dream of his causes the reader to question the reality of the situation. Lockwood "dreams" of knocking his knuckles through the glass of the window, and stretching an arm out to cease the noise of an importunate branch, but instead of grabbing the limb of a tree, he is holding the ice-cold limb of a little girl. His dream then continues and "the intense horror of nightmare came over him: he tried to draw back his arm, but the hand clung to it, and a most melancholy voice sobbed, '"let me in - let me in!"' (27). Not only the spirits, but even the house seems to curse itself with the constant storms and other mishaps. The eerie possession found within Wuthering Heights may very well contribute to the attitude of the master Heathcliff. Heathcliff seems to almost make himself into one of the spirits roaming the household: a never ceasing representation of the past. Since the estate is only good for what has happened within it, that same concept may very well ring true for Heathcliff as well. Chapters 5-8 The role of the Supernatural within the tale of Wuthering Heights continues to influence the events, conflicts, and various measures that surround the lives of the characters present in the novel at this point. In Chapter 6, when Hindley returns home with his brand new wife and becomes master of Wuthering Heights, the utterly mysterious and unnatural happenings begin once more. Frances (Hindley's wife) seemed to be overtaken by the amount of odd coincidences and mishaps that dwelled within the Wuthering Heights estate. She even became overwhelmed with "hysterical emotion upon seeing the color black, and trembled" (47). Frances seemed overly fearful of death and darkness thus causing a curse upon her. But this curse was not uncommon. In fact, it seemed to be contagious and highly invasive of anyone who set foot inside Wuthering Heights. On the other hand, Hindley, just returning from college on call for a rather important death in the family, fittingly caught the curse too acting out of anger and remorse instead of love and mercy. Since of course, Hindley's father replaced him with Heathcliff, it only seemed fitting for Heathcliff to treat him as a low-life and give him the work of a servant. Each character that is overcome by this curse ultimately becomes disliked by others inside as well as outside of the household. However, this curse comes upon them unwillingly. The characters that inhabit this demonizing flaw may very well be oblivious to what is within them and how it is affecting every aspect of their life. Chapters 9-12 Within the first few paragraphs of Chapter 11, Nelly decides to revisit Wuthering Heights because she fears something awful might be happening there. On her way there she feels "agaitated, for catching sight of the place caused her to tremble in every limb" (116). As she approaches the old gate, she sees a small boy that she fails to recognize at first. But as she continues to gaze at him, she realizes that it is Hareton (Hindley's son) who has grown up quite a bit. As they start to interact, Nelly notices that Hareton is made up of the same bad omen his father is, as well as Heathcliff. These curses can't help but be transferred from one soul to another. In another light, Mr. Heathcliff, although changing his image, has not altered his character one bit. His cursed means are beginning to have terrible effects on Catherine causing her to refer to her former friend as "black villian" and "ungrateful brute" (120,121). These effects do not soon hinder. In a very ill state, Catherine, thinking she is back living at Wuthering Heights, claims that there is a face that is not her own staring back at her from the mirror. Memories such as this, even hallucinations, could only derive from the odd surroundings and hauntings that once paranoid Catherine at Wuthering Heights. Chapters 13-16 After the death of Catherine and the birth of her new baby girl in Chapter 16, every character active within the story at this point in time is well stirred up. For example, when Nelly goes to check up on Heathcliff he claims that he wants Catherine to "wake in torment" and he claims that if she truly didn't care for his sufferings to "haunt him as long as he may live" because if he is what killed her then the "murdered do haunt their murderers" (180). As Heathcliff continues to beat himself silly inside and out, Nelly exclaims her hope for Catherine to rest peacefully, for “she lies with a sweet smile on her face; and her latest ideas wandered back to pleasant early days” (180). But of course, Heathcliff cannot bear the idea of a peaceful rest for Catherine. And maybe later on in his life, he will gain his wish (revisiting chapter 3 in this story) when the real Catherine Earnshaw will return to Heathcliff and they may share the same soul once more. Chapters 17-20 There was no evidence of the Supernatural or the affect it has on various characters in Chapters 17-20. Chapters 21-24 There is no overarching evidence of the supernatural or its role in the Chapters 21-24 Chapters 25-28 There was no obvious detail of the supernatural within Chapters 25-28 Chapters 29-31 In Chapter 29 of the novel, Heathcliff, presumes, even after 18 years, to dig up the body of Catherine. He needs so badly to see her face that he retrieves her coffin from the ground and proclaims that he must be buried directly next to her when he passes. In addition, Heathcliff also claims that he feels Catherine's presence regularly, and has since she died 18 years ago.“I looked round impatiently—I felt her by me—I could almost see her, and yet I could not! I ought to have sweat blood then, from the anguish of my yearning—from the fervour of my supplications to have but one glimpse! I had not one. She showed herself, as she often was in life, a devil to me! And, since then, sometimes more and sometimes less, I’ve been the sport of that intolerable torture!" (102). Heathcliff's hidden message behind these passionate words is that he strongly believes that he and Catherine's love is still living. Despite Catherine's body being lifeless and non-existent, Heathcliff fails to believe that Catherine herself is dead too. Chapters 32-34 Within the closing chapters of Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is beginning to see and interact much more with Catherine's spirit. Nelly has said to have witnessed him looking out the window, gazing at something and "muttering detached words also; the only one she could catch was the name of Catherine, coupled with some wild term of endearment or suffering; and spoken as one would speak to a person present; low and earnest, and wrung from the depth of his soul.” (149). All of this seemed to signify that Heathcliff was ultimately ready for death and was moving closer to it with each breath. Later on, in the very last chapter, once Heathcliff has passed and been buried in his inquired gravesite, many of “the country folks, if you ask them, would swear on the Bible that he walks: there are those who speak to having met him near the church, and on the moor" (149). Heathcliff and Catherine are now together once again, sharing a grave as well as a soul.